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the:  charge 

AT 

G ETTYHBURG. 


The  third  clay  of  the  struggle  be- 
tween the  contending  armies  near 
Gettysburg  opened  clea.  and  rJoud- 
less.  The  July  sun  beanie  down  on 
the  battle!)  eld  of  the  previous  day 
majestically  saiene — throwing  into 
bold  relief  the  outlines  of  the  picture. 

Standing  on  Cemetery  Hill,  a  mile 
south  of  the  little  tcwn  of  Gettysburg, 
one  saw  the  range  continue  to  the 
southward,  now  jutting  out  into  the 
valley  to  the  west,  and  then  i  ^ceding 
u  strong  curves  eastward,  new  falling 
,with  even  slopes  and  then  welling 
again  in  graceful  con  lui- — butlurther 
away  breaking  into  precipiti  us  pre- 
nontories  whose  rocky  knoi.s  were 
.eritable  Round  Tops  and  fitly  as- 
sociated with  Devil's  Den^. 

Almost  parallel  and  a  out  a,  mile 
away  to  the  west  could  be  traced  the 
•ourse  of  Seminary  Ridge,  gently 
rising  from  the  intervening  valley  and 
still  covered  with  a  growth  of  original 
(brest  trees.  Along  the  slope  are 
fences  inclosing  fields  witb  patches  of 
wood  here  and  there  and  a  little  swale 
down  the  valley  where  it  narrows  as 
the  ridge  throws  out  a  spur  to  the 
eastward. 

Coming  from  the  town   is   the  Em- 

lettsburg   Pike  which  after  passing 

ihe  summit  of  Cemetery  Hill  swerves 

off  along  a  lower  and  divergent  ridge 

iat  trends  across  the    valley.  .  Over- 


looking the  pike  m  a  stone  wall  fol- 
lowing along  the  upper  slope  of  Ceme  - 
tery  Ridge  and  conforming  generally 
to  the  line  of  its  crest,  but,  at  a  point 
some  six  hundred  yards  away  where 
the  hill  grows  bolder  and  juts  well 
out  into  the  valley,  this  wall  makes  a 
right  angle  and  comes  straight  to- 
wards the  pike,  and  then  again  fol- 
lows the  crest,  which  soon  retreats  and 
falls  away,  leaving  a  slight  depression 
embayed  in  the  general  outline. 

On  this  headland,  that  like  a  bastion 
front  projects  itself  into  the  valley, 
stands  a  clump  of  trees  which  served  to 
guide  the  right  of  the  attacking  col- 
umn on  that  fateful  day;  and  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  in  front,  but  furtheivdown 
the  valley,  stood  the  farm  house  of 
Codori  on  a  little  knoll  surrounded 
by  a  sparse  grove. 

Beyond  the  Cemetery  to  the  north 
the  range  bent  sharply  to  the  right, 
forming  a  difficult  eminence  known  as 
Culp's  Hill;  and  on  the  curve  from 
Culp's  Hill  west  to  the  Cemetery  and 
thence  south  to  Round  Top,  was 
massed  the  Federal  army,  some  100,- 
000  strong:  while  on  an  exterior  line 
of  sister  hills  lay  Lee's  forces,  with 
EwefT  on  the  left  in  possession  of  a 
part  of  Culp's  Hill,  and  Longstreet 
on  the  right  towards  Round  Top, 
while  A.  P.  Hill  covered  the  centre; 
a  total  force    of   about  60,000  troops. 


*\ 


Dispositions  had  been  made  for  au 
early  morning  attack  on  the  3d,  simul- 
taneously by  Ewell  on  the  right  and 
Longstreet  on  the  left;  and  with  that 
view  the  artillery  had  been  massed 
against  the  Federal  centre,  Col.  Alex- 
ander, acting  as  Longstreet's  chief  of 
artillery,  having  occupied,  during  the 
night,  an  advanced  ridge  that  lay  sev 
eral  hundred  yards  beyond  Long- 
street's  front,  and  covered  it  with  bat- 
teries. 

But  Meade  himself  had  not  been 
inactive,  and,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  he  unsettled  this  plan  of  at- 
tack by  driving  back  Early,  whose 
lodgment  on  Gulp's  Hill  was  an  es- 
sential part  of  Lee's  proposed  move- 
ment. Later  in  the  morning,  then, 
Lee  determined  on  making  that  as- 
sault which  has  since  been  so  famous 
in  history. 

Gen.  Long,  the  author  of  Lee's 
Memoirs  and  then  on  Lee's  staff,  says? 
*'This  decision  was  reached  at  a  con- 
ference held  during  the  morning  on 
the  field  in  front  of  Round  Top, 
there  being  present  Generals  Lee, 
Longstreet,  A.  P.  Hill  and  Heth  and 
Col.    Long  and  Maj.  Venable.': 

Longstreet  made  some  objection, 
his  idea  being  to  move  farther  to  the 
right  and  entice  Meade  to  abandon 
his  position  and  give  battle  on  more 
favorable  ground:  but  the  attack  was 
ordered  nevertheless  and  Longstreet 
was  directed  to  carry  it  into  execution. 
The  object  of  Gen.  Lee  was  to  pene- 
trate Meade's  line  in  the  depression 
on  the  south  of  Cemeteiy  Hill  and 
thus  turning  his  position,  move  up 
and  dispossess  him. 

When  the  morning  broke  and  the 
Federal  forces  beheld  sc  great  an  ar- 
mament as  one  hundred  and  forty 
pieces  of  artillery  in  position  on  the 
crest  of  Seminary  Ridge,  they  knew 
that  an  assault  was  intended  on  some 
part  of  their  line  and  every  prejDara- 
tion  was  at  once  made  to  receive  it. 


The  batteries  on  Cemetery  Ridge 
were  strengthened  by  new  ones  from 
the  reserve,  and  soon  eighty  pieces  of 
artillery  were  in  readiness  to  respond 
to  the  expected  cannonade  which  was 
awaited  with  increasing  solicitude  as 
the  morning  wore  on  in  ominous 
silence. 

In  early  morning  Pickett's  fresh 
division  had  arrived  and  two  of  his 
brigades  had  been  placed  under  cover 
of  the  advanced  ridge  which  Col. 
Alexander  had  seized  the  night  be- 
fore. ArmtsteacVs  brigade  lay  back 
protected  by  the  main  ridge  in  a  line 
with  Heth's  division,  while  the  North 
Carolina  brigades  of  Scales  and  Lane 
were  still  further  in  the  rear.  These 
were  the  troops  selected  to  make  the 
assault:  Pickett's  divisidn  being  fresh, 
and  Heth's  division  commanded 
by  Pettigrew  and  Lane's  and 
Scales'  brigades,  although  baJiv  out 
up  on  the  first,  not  having  been  en- 
gaged on  the  second,and  being  troppea 
of  the  highest  reputation  for  con- 
stancy and  endurance. 

In  Heth's  division  were  Archer's 
brigade,  composed  of  two  Alabama 
and  three  Tennessee  regiments;  Pet- 
tigresv's  brigade,  which  had  present, 
the  11th,  26th,  47th  and  52d  North 
Carolina  regiments;Davis'  brigade  con- 
stituted of  three  Mississippi  and  one 
North  Carolina  regiment,  and  Brock- 
enborough's  or  Field's  brigade,  which' 
was  composed  entirely  of  Virginians. 
Pettigrew's  brigade  was  commanded 
by  Col.  Marshall,  Gen.  Pettigrew  be-' 
ing  in  command  of  the  division. 

Lane's  brigade  was  formed  of  th« 
7th,  18th,  28th,  33d  and  37th  North 
Carolina  regiments,  and  in  Scales", 
then  under  Col.  Lowrance,  were  the 
13th,  16th,  22d,  34th  and  38th  North 
Carolina  regiments.  These  troops  had 
suffered  so  severely  on  the  first  of 
July  that  many  companies  were  mere 
skeletons  and  some  regiments  were 
commanded  by  captains. 


Pickett's  division,  composed  entire- 
ly of  Virginians,  had  just  arrived  and 
was  in  excellent  condition  in  all  re- 
spects. 

The  movement  was  in  double  col- 
umn, the  first  line  consisting  of  Kem- 
per's and  Garnet's  brigaded  on  the 
right,  with  Heth's  division  (under 
Pettigrew)  on  the  left;  and 
for  the  second  line  Armistead  in 
the  rear  of  Pickett's  other  brigades, 
and  Scales1  and  Lane's  brigades  of 
North  Carolinians,  under  Gen.  Trim- 
ble, in  the  rear  of  Heth's  division. 

Wilcox's  and  Perry's  brigades  were 
to  move  out  on  the  extreme  right  and 
protect  the  column  from  any  flanking 
force,  while  R.  H.  Anderson's  division, 
covering  the  left,  was  to  be  in  readi- 
ness to  act  as  opportunity  should 
permit.  Preliminary  to  the  move- 
ment, the  artillery  was  to  silence  the 
enemy's  guns  and  as  far  as  possible 
demoralize  their  infantry  before  the 
attempt  should  be  made  to  carry  the 
works  by  storm. 

At  one  o'clock  two  guns  were  dis- 
charged by  the  Washington  Artillery 
the  signal  for  the  cannonade  to  be- 
gin. Immediately  the  line  of  batter- 
ies opened  with  salvos  of  artillery 
evoking  a  quick  reply  from  the  enemy, 
and  the  engagement  soon  became  one 
*  of  the  most  terrific  bombardments  of 
the  war.  Its  fury  was  inconceivable. 
'  From  ridge  to  ridge  was  kept  up  for 
"near  two  hours  a  Titanic  combat  of 
"artillery  that  caused  the  solid  fabric 
'of  the  hills  to  labor  and  shake,  and 
'  filled  the  air  with  fire  and  smoke  and 
"the  mad  clamor  of  two  hundred 
'guns.''  The  exposed  batteries  were 
greatly  damaged.  Both  horses  and 
men  suffered  fearful  .  destruction. 
Caissons  exploded,  limbers  were 
blown  up  and  guns  were  crippled  on 
every  side.  In  particular  was  the 
Confederate  fire,  concentrated  on  the 
point  of  attack,  very  effective.  But 
still   the   enemy's  batteries  were   not 


silenced.  Their  fire  did  not  slacken, 
for  as  fast  as  the  Federal  batteries 
expended  then:  ammunition,  they 
were  replaced  by  new  ones  from  the 
reserve,  and  the  fire  continued  with- 
out abatement,  until  at  length  the  Con 
federate  ammunition  began  to  runlow. 

Col.  Alexander,  to  whom  had  'been 
committed  the  duty  of  indicating  the 
moment  for  beginning  the  charge, 
felt  the  awful  responsibility  of  the 
dilemma  that  presented  itself,  and 
hurriedly  communicated  to  Pickett 
that  he  should  wait  no  longer,  but 
should  begin  the  movement  at  once, 
notwithstanding  the  terrific  energy  of 
the  artillery  that  crowned  the  enemy's 
stronghold.  But  if  the  Confederate 
chests  had  been  depleted,  so  at  last 
had  become  those  of  their  antagonists, 
and  Gen.  Hunt,  Meade's  chief  of  ar- 
tillery, finding  it  unsafe  to  move  up 
new  supplies,  and  anticipating  that 
the  assault  would  be  made  on  the 
centre,  conceived  it  well  to  husband 
his  resources  and  ordered  the  fire  to 
slacken,  and  so,  unexpectedly,the  em- 
barrassing difficulty  of  the  Co.  feeler 
ate  situation  vanished. 

Immediately  the  order  to  advance 
was  given  along  the  whole  line,  and 
some  twelve  thousand  veterans,  with 
alacrity  and  high  elation,  moved  for- 
ward over  the  crests  that  had  shel- 
tered them,  and  passed  down  the 
slopes  of  Seminary  Ridge,  their 
bright  guns  gleaming  in  the  noonday 
sun  and  their  innumerable  battle 
flags  flying  in  the  breeze,  making  as 
fine  a  pageant  as  was  ever  seen  on  any 
field  of  battle.  They  moved  in  quick 
time  and  with  admirable  precision,  as 
if  on  some  gala  day  parade.  It  was 
a  glorious  spectacle,  evoking  admira- 
tion from  foe  and  friend  alike,  and 
being  the  theme  of  unstinted  praise 
from  every  one  who  witnessed  it. 

But  hardly  had  the  line  reached 
the  downward  slope  of  that  extensive 
valley    when    the     Federal    batteries 


were  again  unloosed  and  the  carnival 
of  death  began. 

"Though  stormed  at  with  shot  and 
shell,  it  moved  steadily  on  and  even 
when  grape  and  canister  and  musket 
balls  began  to  rain  upon  it,  the  gaps 
were  quickly  closed  and  the  align- 
ment preserved." 

The  line  of  grey,  a  full  mile  in 
length,  with  its  second  line  following 
at  easy  distance,  marched  indeed  in 
fine  style  down  that  valley  of  death, 
reckless  of  peril  and  animated  with 
that  soldierly  zeal  and  confidence 
which  ever  inspired  the  troops  of 
Lee  when  moving  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  that  trusted  commander. 

From  Pickett's  advanced  position 
down  the  valley  the  clump  of  trees 
which  gave  him  direction  bore  far  to 
the  left,  and  soon  reaching  the  ridge 
on  which  the  Turnpike  ran,  he 
wheeled  to  the  left  and  moved  up  to- 
wards Codori's  house.  By  this  move- 
ment he  presented  his  flank  to 
the  batteries  posted  on  Little 
Round  Top  and  received  a  severe 
enfilading  fire,  while  General 
Stannard,  whose  division  was  in  his 
immediate  front,  threw  out  two  Ver- 
mont regiments  to  contest  the  ground 
with  him.  But  Col.  Alexander  had 
himself  hastily  followed  with  a  bat- 
tery of  artillery  and  opened  on  this 
force  with  spirit,  in  a  measure  dis- 
persing it  and  neutralizing  its  power 
for  serious  work.  Bat  still  it  could 
not  be  entirely  driven  off,  and  when 
Kemper,  on  the  extreme  right,  having 
passed  to  the  east  of  Codori's  house, 
moved  by  the  left  flank  to  close  up 
with  Garnett's  brigade,  the  Vermont- 
ers  also  moved  by  the  flank  to  keep 
pace  with  him,  and  continued  to  an- 
noy him.  As  the  line  advanced  there 
loomed  up  in  the  distance  the  works 
it  was  to  assault. 

Immediately  in  front  of  Archer's 
Brigade  and  Pickett's  left  lay  the  pro- 
jecting stone  wall    standing  out  into 


the  valley,  and  held  by  Webb's  bri- 
gade of  Gibbon's  division;  and  op- 
posite the  Confederate  left  was  the 
retired  wall  held  by  Hays'  division, 
with  Smyth's  brigade  towards  the 
cemetery  and  Sherrill's  brigade  be- 
tween that  and  Webb.  South  of  the  pro- 
jection Hall's  and  Harrow's  brigades 
continued  the  Federal  line,  behind 
breastworks  of  rails  covered  with 
earth  and  with  rifle  pits  and  shallow 
trenches  in  their  front.  Further  on 
were  Stannard's  and  other  brigades 
of  Doubleday's  division.  On  the  crest 
of  the  hill,  a  few  yards  behind  the 
line  of  works,  was  thickly  massed  the 
artillery.  Skirmishers  lay  out  several 
hundred  yards  in  front  in  the  clover 
and  grass,  while  a  first  line  of  infant- 
ry held  a  strong  fence  along  the  pike 
in  front  of  Hays  and  a  low  stone 
wall  further  down  the  valley,  and  lay 
concealed  in  the  grass  in  the  inter- 
vening space.  At  the  stone  wall  and 
breastworks  was  a  'second  line  in 
readiness  to  receive  the  attack,  while 
behind  the  artillery,  some  thirty  paces 
off,  was  still  another,  occupying  high- 
er ground  and  protected  by  the  back- 
bone of  the  ridge,  and  further  off  on 
the  flanks  were  heavy  masses  of  in- 
fantry ready  to  be  concentrated  if 
occasion  required. 

As  the  Confederate  line  moved  for- 
ward, in  constant  sight,  momentarily 
drawing  nearer  to  the  point  of  attack, 
all  was  expectation  and  anxiety  along 
the  Federal  front.  The  heavy  artil- 
lery fire  of  the  Confederates  had 
ceased  and  the  demoralization  inci- 
dent to  it  rapidly  gave  place  to  a 
feeling  of  re-assurance  *  and  determi- 
nation. While  it  had  destroyed  the 
two  batteries  in  the  rear  of  Webb, 
leaving  only  one  piece  that  could  be 
worked,  the  guns  in  rear  of  Hays' 
division  were  in  better  condi- 
tion, and  Howard's  fresh  battery 
had  been  brought  up  and  posted  on 
the  slope  of  Cemetery  Hill.     And  so 


it  happened  that  while  the  troops  on 
the  Confederate  right  were  fortu- 
nately not  subjected  to  an  artillery 
fire  from  the  front  and  were  exposed 
only  to  an  enfilading  fire,  from  the  ex- 
treme left  of  the  Federal  line,  it  was 
«  far  different  with  Pettigrew's  com- 
mand, the  batteries  in  his  front  being 
well  served,  firing  first  solid  shot, 
then  shell  and  spherical  case — and  at 
last  canister — double  charged,  as  Pet- 
tigrew's line  drew  nearer  and  nearer. 

The  movement  of  the  Confederates 
was  made  in  quick  time  over  a  clear 
field,  beneath  the  burning  rays  of  a 
fiery  July  sun,  and  was  attended  with 
considerable  fatigue  and  exhaustion. 
But  those  veterans  who  had  been 
trained  to  the  vicissitudes  of  war  well 
knew  that  at  the  final  assault,  dash 
and  vigor  would  be  necessary,  and 
they  therefore  husbanded  their 
strength  and  moved  forward  steadily 
and  resolutely  under  the  galling 
fire  that  was  rapidly  thinning  their 
ranks.  Speaking  of  the  troops  in 
front  of  Hays'  division,  Gen'l  Bachel- 
der  says  that  when  they  had  reached 
a  position  "half  way  across  the  plain 
"they  encountered  a  terrible  artillery 
"fire,  but  against  which,  as  a  man 
"presses  against  a  blinding  storm,  they 
"moved  steadily  on  as  if  impelled  by 
M.  "a  will  greater  than  their  own — some 
"mighty  unseen  power  which  they 
"could  not  resist." 

"Solid  shot  ploughed  through  their 
"ranks,  spherical  case  rattled  in  their 
"midst  and  canister  swept  them  by 
"hundreds  from  the  field  yet  on  they 
"pressed  unflinchingly." 

It  was  an  awful  experience  to  pass 
nearly  a  mile  across  an  open  plain  sub- 
jected to  such  a  terrible  fire,  with  no 
hope  of  protection  and  without  power 
to  resist.  But  each  brave  spirit  in 
Pettigrew's  command  recognized  the 
necessity  of  immolation  if  need  be, 
and  offered  himself  a  willing  sacrifice; 
and  so   closing  up    the  great  gaps  in 


its  ranks,  the  lines  on  the  left  con- 
tinued to  face  the  furious  storm  and 
silently  moved  on  upon  the  deadly 
batteries. 

At  length  having  made  two-thirds 
of  the  distance  and  being  only  three 
hundred  yards  away,  Pickett's  troops 
with  Garnett  in  front,  Kemper  on  the 
right,  but  somewhat  in  rear,  and 
Armistead  a  hundred  yards  behind, 
turned  towards  the  point  they  were 
fco  assail.  On  Garnett's  left  was 
Archer's  brigade,  under  Col.  Fry, 
whose  numbers  had  been  largely  re- 
duced in  the  first  day's  fight — and 
which  had  moved  directly  forward  as 
the  brigade  of  direction.  Close  joined 
with  it  were  Pettigrew's  North  Caroli- 
nians under  Col.  Marshall,  Pettigrew 
himself  being  in  command  of  the  di- 
vision; and  further  on  were  Davis' 
Mississippians  and  Brockenborough's 
Virginia  brigade,  all  well  aligned: 
while  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  be- 
hind Trimble  led  Lane's  and  Scales' 
brigades,  the  latter  under  Col.  Low- 
rence,  Scales  having  been  severely 
wounded  two  days  before. 
Although  the  right  had  not  suffered 
greatly  during  its  shorter  progress 
up  the  valley  and  being  somewhat 
protected  by  favoring  ridges,  heavy 
loss  had  been  inflicted  on  the  centre 
and  on  the  left,  which  were  fear- 
fully cut  up  during  their  long  and  ex- 
posed march.  But  though  sorely  dis- 
tressed on  front  and  flank,  with  ranks 
largely  depleted,  the  left  brigades 
maintained  their  original  alignment 
and  still  pursued  their  onward 
course. 

As  the  attacking  column,  now  much 
narrowed,  moved  up  the  slope  that 
formed  a  natural  glacis  to  the  enemy's 
works,  the  batteries  opened  still  more 
rapidly  with  grape  and  canister,  and 
the  front  line  of  the  enemy  that 
lay  in  advance,  together  with  the 
second  line  at  the  stone  wall,  poured 
into   the   Confederate   column  volley 


FIELD  OF  GETTYSBURG. 


1  he  first  positions  of  the  Gonf(  lerate  brigades  are  shown  on  the  left  and  then 
two  subsequent  intermediate  positions,  while  the  final  position  attained  is  mark.'  d: 
by  tbe  thin  line  in  front  of  the  stone  wall  and  within  Gibbon's  line  on  the 
south  of  it.  • 

Webb's  position  in  the  angle  is  marked  W.  Hall's  and  Harrow's  brigades  continued 
the  Federal  line  towards  Stannard's  brigade. 


1 


after  volley  of  musketry — sending  out 
a  perfect  sheet  of  lead  and  iron — a 
storm  of  murderous  fire.  The  ranks 
of  the  first  Confederate  line,  in  the 
immediate  front  of  Hays'  artillery, 
were  mowed  down  as  grass  by  the 
scythe.  The  carnage  was  terrible. 
The  piercing  cries  of  the  dying  and 
wounded  could  be  heard  over  the 
field  amid  the  shrieks  of  shells  and 
the  roar  of  the  cannon.  Trimble,  in 
command  of  the  two  North  Carolina 
brigades,  says  of  Heth's  division  "that 
it  seemed  to  sink  into  the  earth  under 
the  tempest  of  fire  poured  into  them." 

r  "We  passed  over  the  remnant  of 
"th  ;ir  line  and  immediately  some  one 
"close   to  my  left   sung  out    'Three 

f  "cheers  for  the  Old  North  State,' 
"when  both  brigades  sent  up  a  hearty 

.  "shout."  It  was  the  cry  of  brave  men 
rushing  into  the  jaws  of  death. 

So  furious  was  the  fire  and  so  mur- 
derous that  it  staggered  the  line — 
which  "halted,  returned  the  fire  and 
with  a  wild  yell  dashed  on."  The 
first  line  of  the  enemy,  which  lay  a 
hundred  yards  in  front,  was  thrown 
back  against  the  wall,  many  being 
captured  and  hurried  to  the  rear 
without  guard.  But  yet  the  roar 
and  din  of  the  conflict  continued,  and, 
tbough  the  smoke  of  battle  obscured 
Hie  front,  the  carnage  went  on  as  the 
columns  drew  closer  and  closer  to  the 
enemy's  works.  A  front  that  had  been 
originally  move  than  a  mile  in  length 
had  now  been  compressed  into  less 
than   eight   hundred  yards   and   the 

t  concentrated  fire  of  the  enemy's  ar- 
tillery, as  well  as  musketry,  from  the 
iianks  as  well  as  from  the  front,  told 
with  fearful  effect. 

As  the  line  appoached  the  enemy's 
works,  Pettigrew  seeing  Brocken- 
borough's  Virginia  brigade  and  Davis' 
Mississippians  give  way  under  the 
murderous  fire  that  assailed  them, 
hurried  his  aid,  Capt.  Shepard,  to 
rally   them — but  all   of  Capt.    Shep- 


ad's  efforts  were  without  avail. 
They  had  become  separated  some  dis- 
tance from  Pettigrew's  North  Caro- 
lina Brigade  and  lacked  the  support 
imparted  by  the  immediate  co-op- 
eration of  other  troops.  They  could 
not  be,rallied,  but  broke  and  fell  back 
at  the  critical  moment  of  the  ordeal. 
It  was  then  that  Trimble  ordered  his 
North  Carolina  Brigades  to  close  up 
on  the  first  column,  and  Lane  bearing 
to  the  left,  with  well  aligned  ranks 
and  in  handsome  style,  covered  the 
position  made  vacant  on  the  left  by 
the  broken  brigades,  while  Lowrance 
led  Scales'  brigade  directly  ft  rward 
to  unite  with  the  front  line 
then   one  hundred   yards  in  advance. 

In  this  hasty  movement  of  Lane's, 
however,  because  of  a  misunderstand- 
ing as  to  whether  the  guide  was  right 
or  left,  the  Seventh  North  Carolina 
and  a  part  of  the  Thirty-third,  being 
on  Lane's  right,  became  separated 
from  the  larger  part  of  the  brigade, 
which  continued  its  movement  w  ell 
to  the  left,  leaving  some  space  inter- 
vening between  it  and  Pettigrew's 
brigade. 

The  position  of  the  troops  just  be- 
fore the  final  charge  was:  Pickett's 
line  was  in  front  of  a  part  of  the  pro- 
jecting wall,  with  Kemper's  brigade 
extending  to  the  right  of  it,  covering 
the  front  of  the  Federal  brigades  of 
Hall  and  Harrow.  Archer's  brigade 
was  in  front  of  the  rest  of  the  projec- 
tion, and  along  with  Pettigrew's 
North  Carolina  brigade  extended  in 
front  of  the  retired  wall,  with  Scales' 
brigade  coming  up  in  the  rear,  while 
Lane,  with  nearly  four  regiments,  was 
some  distance  to  the  left. 

On  the  right  Pickett's  command 
had  crossed  the  pike,  while  the  line 
further  to  the  left  had  yet  to  pass  it. 

As  the  troops  in  their  progress 
reached  the  fences  enclosing  this  road, 
the  obstruction  tended  greatly  to 
break  up  their  alignment.  Many  were 


killed  and  wounded  there  and  others 
sought  protection  from  the  fearful 
fire  by  lying  in  the  road.  The  col- 
umn advancing  beyond  the  pike  was 
thus  considerably  weakened,  and  es- 
pecially was  this  the  case  on  the  cen- 
tre and  left  where  the  road. ran  closer 
to  the  stone  wall  and  was  stoutly  held* 
by  the  front  line  of  the  enemy.  Pick- 
ett's troops,  however,  crossing  at  a 
point  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  dis- 
tant from  the  enemy's  works,  escaped 
the  full  effect  of  this  damaging  ob- 
stacle and  maintained  a  more  perfect 
organization.  And  in  like  manner, 
the  right  of  the  Confederate  column 
had  the  good  fortune  of  not  being 
subjected  to  a  similar  artillery  fire  to 
that  which  mowed  down  the  ranks  of 
Pettigrew's  command. 

It  is  narrated  by  Gren.  Doubleday . 
that , all  of  the  artillery  supporting 
Webb's  brigade,  being  destroyed  ex- 
cept one  piece  in  Cushing's  battery 
which  was  in  rear  of  Webb's  right, 
and  nearly  all  of  the  artillerymen  be- 
ing either  killed  or  wounded,  as  the 
Confederates  came  close,  Cushing, 
himself  mortally  wounded,  with  his 
bowels  protruding,  exclaimed  "Webb, 
I  must  have  one  more  shot  at  them," 
and  caused  his  piece  to  be  run  down 
to  the  stone  wall  and  fired,  immedi- 
ately expiring.  This  incident  not  only 
illustrates  how  Pickett's  division 
during  its  advance  fortunately  es- 
caped the  artillery  fire  that  was  so  ef- 
fective against  Pettigrew's  troops,  but 
accounts  for  the  presence  of  a  gun  at 
the  angle  where  Maj.  Engelhard  sub 
sequently  found  it.  A  few  moments 
later  a  fresh  battery  reached  Webb's 
left  and  opened  a  murderous  fire  on 
Pickett's  charging  column.  Col. 
Peyton,  who  came  out  of  the 
fight  in  command  of  Garnett's 
brigade,  in  his  official  report, 
speaks  of  having  routed  the  ad- 
vanced line  of   the  Federal  infantry  a 


hundred  yards  in  front  of  the  stone 
wall,  and  says  : 

"Up  to  this  time  we  had  suffered  but 
little  from  the  enemy's  batteries  with 
the  exception  of  one  posted  on  the 
mountain  about  one  mile  to  our  right, 
which  enfiladed  nearly  our  entire  line 
with  fearful  effect.  Having  routed 
the  enemy  here,  Gen.  Garnett  ordered 
the  brigade  forward,  which  was 
promptly  obeyed,  loading  and  firing 
as  they  advanced.  From  the  point  it 
had  first  routed  the  enemy,  the  brig- 
ade moved  rapidly  forward  towards 
the  stone  wall,  under  a  galling  fire, 
both  from  artillery  and  infantry,  the 
artillery  using  grape  and  canister. 
We  were  now  within  about  seventy- 
five  paces  of  the  wall,  unsupported 
on  the  right  and  left;  Gen.  Kemper 
being  some  50  or  60  yards  behind 
and  to  the  right,  and  Gen.  Armistead 
coming  up  in  our  rear. 

Our  line,  much  shattered,  still  kept 
up  the  advance  until  within  about 
twenty  paces  of  the  wall,  when  for  a 
moment  they  recoiled  under  the  ter- 
rific fire  they  poured  into  our  ranks, 
both  from  their  batteries  and  from 
their  sheltered  infantry.  At  this  mo- 
ment Gen.  Kemper  came  up  on  the 
right  and  Gen.  Armistead  in  the  rear, 
when  the  three  lines  joining  in  concert 
rushed  forward.  His  strongest  and 
last  line  was  instantly  gained,  the 
Confederate  battle-flag  waved  over 
his  defenses  and  the  fighting  over  the 
wall  became  hand-to-hand  and  of  the 
most  desperate  character,  but  more 
than  half  having  already  fallen,  our 
line  was  found  too  weak  to  rout  the 
enemy.  We  hoped  for  a  support  on 
our  left  (which  had  started  simultane- 
ously with  ourselves)but  hoped  in  vain. 
Yet  a  small  remnant  remained  in  des- 
perate struggle,  receiving  a  fire  in 
front,  on  the  right  and,  on  the  left 
many  even  climbing  over  the  wall  and 
fighting  the  enemy  in  his  own  trench- 


9 


es,  until  entirely  surrounded, and  those 
who  were  not  killed  and  wounded  were 
captured,  with  the  exception  of  about 
300  who  c  a'ne  off  slowly  but  greatly 
scattered — the  identity  of  every  regi- 

,|  ment  being  entirely  lost,  every  regi- 
mental commander  killed  or  wound- 
ed." 

We  have  no  official  report  from 
either  Armi stead's  or  Kemper's  brig- 
ades. The  latter  was  on  the  extreme 
right,  extending  south  of  the  stone 
wad, and  in  its  advance  suffered  greatly 
fro  ;n  the  flanking  fire  of  the  two  Ver- 
mout  regiments  thrown  out  by  Gen. 
Stannard  against  it.  A  Federal  ac- 
count says:  "The  Confederate  line  is 
almost  up  to  the  grove  in  front  of 
Robinson's.  It  has  reached  the  clump 
of  scrub  oaks.  It  has  drifted  past 
the  Vermont  boys.  They  move  upon 
the  run  up  to  the  breastworks  of 
rails,  bearing  Hancock's  line  to  the 
top  of  the  ridge — so  powerful  their 
momentum. 

Men  fire  into  each  other's  faces  not 
five  feet  apart.  There  are  bayonet 
thiusts,  sabre  strokes,  pistol  shots, 
cool, deliberate  movements  on  the  part 
of  some;  hot,  passionate,  desperate 
efforts  on  the  part  of  others ;  hand-to- 
hand   ( ontests ;   recklessness   of   life, 

(j  tenacity  of  purpose,  fiery  determina- 
tion, oaths,  yells,  curses,  hurrahs, 
shoutings.  The  Confederates  have 
swept  past  the  Vermont  regiments. 
'Take  them  on  the  flank,'  says  Stan- 
nard. The  13th  and  16th  Vermont 
swing  out  from  their  trench  line. 
|  They  move  forward  .  nd  pour  a  deadly 
volley  into  the  backs  of  Kemper's 
troops.  With  a  hurrah  they  rush  on 
to  drive  home  the  bayonets.  Other 
legiments  close  upon  the  foe.  The 
Confederate  column  has  lost  its  power. 
The  lines  waver.  *  *  Thousands 
oi  Confederates  throw  down  their 
arn;s  and  give  themselves  up  as  pris- 
onus." 

.mother  Federal  account    of   Kem- 


per's attack  says — '-up  to  the  rifle 
pits,  across  them,  over  the  barricades 
— the  momentum  of  the  charge  swept 
them  on. 

"Our  thin  line  could  fight,  but  it 
had  not  weight  enough  to  resist  this 
momentum.  It  was  pushed  behind 
the  guns.  Eight  on  came  the  enemy. 
They  were  upon  the  guns — were  bay- 
onetting  the  gunners — were  waving 
their  flags  above  our  pieces.  But 
they  had  penetrated  to  the  fatal  point. 
A  storm  of  grape  and  canister  tore  its 
way  from  man  to  man  and  marked  its 
way  with  corpses  straight  down  its 
line.  They  had  exposed  themselves 
to  the  enfilading  fire  of  the  guns  on 
the  western  slope  of  Cemetery  Hill. 
That    exposure     sealed     their     fate. 

"The  line  reeled  back,  disjointed 
already,  in  an  instant  in  fragments. 
Our  men  were  just  behind  the  guns. 
They  leaped  forward  in  a  disordered 
mass.  But  there  was  little  need  of 
fighting  now.  A  regiment  threw 
down  its  arms  and  with  colors  at  its 
head,  rushed  over  and  surrendered. 
All  along  the  field  detachments  did 
the  same.  Over  the  field  the  escaped 
fragments  of  the  charging  line  fell 
back — the  battle  there  was  over.  A 
single  brigade,  Harrow's,  came  out 
with  a  loss  of  54  officers  and  793 
men.  So  the  whole  corps  fought — 
so  too  they  fought  further  down  the 
line." 

Col.. Fry!  who  so  gallantly  led  Ar- 
cher's Brigade,  says :  "I  heard  Gar- 
nett  give  a  command.  Seeing  my 
gesture  of  enquiry  he  called  out,  T 
am  dressing  on  you  !'  A  few  seconds 
later  he  fell  dead.  A  moment  later  a 
shot  through  my  thigh  prostrated  me. 
The  smoke  soon  became  so  dense  that 
I  could  see  but  little  of  what  was  go- 
ing on  before  me.  A  moment  later  I 
heard  Gen.  Pettigrew  calling  to  rally 
them  on  the  left.  All  of  the  five  reg- 
imental colors  of  my  command  reach- 
ed the  line  of  the  enemy's  works  and 


10 


many  of  niy  men  and  officers  were 
killed  after  passing  over  it."  Col. 
Shepherd, who  succpeded  Frye  in  com- 
mand, said  in  his  official  report  that 
"every  flag-  in  Archer's  brigade  except 
one  was  captured  at  or  within  the 
works  of  the  enemy." 

Scales'  brigade  closely  followed  Ar- 
cher's, dashed  up  to  the  projecting 
wall  and  planted  their  battle  flags 
upon  the  enemy's  breastworks.  Pet- 
tigrew's and  the  left  of  Archer's  had 
surged  forward  beyond  the  projecting 
wall,  and  had  firmly  established  them- 
selves along  the  retired  portion  of  the 
wall.  Gen.  Bachelder  of  the  Federal 
army  who  thoroughly  studied  the  field 
for  clays  after  the  battle,  than  whom 
no  oie  knew  so  well  the  details  of  that 
affai;-,  says,  -'The  left  of  the  column 
continued  co  move  on  towards  the 
second  wall,  threatening  the  right  and 
rear  of  -Gibbon's  division  which  held 
the  advanced  line.  Gen.  Webb,  whose 
brigade  was  on  the  right  (in  the  pro- 
jection), had  hurried  back  to  bring  up 
his  right  reserve  regiment  from  the 
second  line.  But  before  this  could 
be  accomplished  the  first  line  broke 
under  Ihe  tremendous  pressure  which 
threatened  its  front  and  flank,  and  fell 
back  upon  the  reserve." 

Thus  whil-j  Garnett  was  strug- 
gling for  the  possession  of  the 
stonewall  on  the  Confederate 
right  and  Kemper  was  engaged  with 
Hariow  and  IT  ill  still  further  to  the 
right,  seeking  unsuccessfully  to  pene- 
trate into  the  enemy's  line  and  turn 
the  left  of  the  hill,  the  advance  of 
Pettigrew's  command  beyond  the  pro- 
jecting wall,  taking  Webb's  exposed 
brigade  on  the  right  flank,  caused  it  to 
give  back  from  the  wall  and  yield  that 
part  of  the  projection  to  the  regiments 
of  Archer  and  Scales  that  pressed 
them  in  front. 

Capt.  Mclntyre,  acting  adjutant  gen- 
eral   of   Scales1    brigade,    says.    "My 


brigade,  or  a  larger  part  of  it,  went 
inside  of  the  enemy's  works." 

Capt.  Guerrant,  acting  as  brigade 
inspector,  says  that  "Scales'  brigade 
entered  the  breastworks  and  remain- 
ed in  possession  until  driven  out  by 
the  enemy's  advancing  on  their  flanks." 
Maj.  Engelhard,  the  gallant  adjutant 
general  of  the  two  brigades  of  Pen- 
der's division  commanded  by  Trimble, 
says :  "The  point  at  which  the  troops 
with  mc  struck  the  enemy's  works 
projected  farthest  to  the  front.  I 
recollect  well,  my  horse  having  been 
shot,  I  leaned  my  elbow  upon  one  of 
the  guns  of  the  enemy  to  rest,  while 
I  watched  with  painful  anxiety  the 
fight  upon  Picket's  right,  for  upon 
its  success  depended  the  tenableness 
of  our  position. 

"Surroundiug  me  were  the  soldiers 
of  Penders',  Heth's  and  Picketts  di- 
visions and  it  required  all  the  re- 
sources at  my  command  to  prevent 
then  following  en  masse  the  retreat- 
ing eneiny,  and  some  did  go  so  far 
that  when  we  were  compelled  to  with- 
draw, they  were  unable  to  reach  our 
lines,  the  enemy  closing  in  from  the 
right  and  left.  We  remained  in  quiet 
and  undisputed  possession  of  the  en 
emy's  works,  the  men  flushed  with 
victory,  eager  to  press  forward. 

"But  when  the  right  of  Pickett's  di- 
vision was  compelled  by  the  over 
powering  attack  upon  its  right  flank 
to  give  way,  there  was  nothing  left 
for  us  to  do  but  to  surrender  ourselves 
prisoners  or  withdraw  in  confusion 
before  the  converging  lines  of  the  en- 
emy, those  in  our  immediate  front 
not  having  rallied." 

The  retired  wall  in  front  of 
Pettigrew's  North  Carolina  bri- 
gade was  higher  and  stronger 
than  at  the  projection  and  along  it 
skirted  a  lane  enclosed  by  a  strong 
f  nee. 

Hays'    division  clung-    to    the    wall 


11 


with  great  pertinacity  and  the  second 
line,  protected  by  the  high  crest  of 
the  ridge,  commanded  it  completely, 
while  Howard's  fresh  artillery  on  the 
slope  of  Cemetery  Hill  swept  the  front 

g  with  an  enfilading  fire.  But  while  it 
was  impracticable  for  any  troops  to 
car]  y  it  by  assault,  the  Confederate 
line  much  weakened  by  the  losses  suf- 
fered in  the  march,  silenced  the  bat- 
terios  in  their  front  and  suppressed 
the  infantry  fire  from  the  wall,  and 
maintained  the  unequal  contest  there 
to  the  last. 

Some  of  Pettigrew's  North  Caro- 
linans  advanced  to  the  wall  itself,  do- 
ing all  that  splendid  valor  and  heroic 
endurance  could  do  to  dislodge  the 
enemy — but  their  heroism  was  in  vain. 
Col.  Jones  in  command  of  Petti- 
grew's brigade,  says,  "On  we  pushed 
and  were  now  light  on  the  enemy's 
works,  when  we  received  a  murderous 
fire  upon  our  left  flank.  I  looked  to  see 
where  it.  camet  from  and  lo  !  we  were 
completely  flanked  upon  our  left  not 
only  by  infantry  but  artillery.  One 
of  our  brigades  had  given  way.  The 
enemy  Lad  seized  upon  the  gap  and 
now  poured  a  galling  fire  into  our  troops 
forcing  thorn  to  give  way  in  success- 
ion to  the  right.     The  color  bearer  of 

^,  the  26th  North  Carolina  regiment  was 
shot  down  while  attempting  to  plant 
the  flag  on  the  wall."  Gaston 
Broughton  commanding  Co.  D,  26th 
N,  C.  regiment,  says,  "We  crossed  the 
road  and  went  to  the  enemy's  works, 
where  we  continued,  firing  until  most 
of  the  regiment  were  captured  the 
enemy  closing  in  on  us  from  our  rear." 
Li.  W.  N-  Snelling  Co.  B,  of  the  same 
regiment,  says,  "We  went  to  an  old  road 
some  ten  steps  from  the  rock  fence 
behind  which  was  the  enemy." 

Maj.  Haynes,  of  the  11th  N.  C,  "I 
was  about  50  yards  (I  think  nearer) 
of  the  wall  when  I  was  shot  down. 
When  shot  we  were  in  line  going  to- 
wards the  cemetery    wall.     We    were 


all  cut  down — no    one  but   wounded 
left  in  my  company,  save  two." 

Capt.  J.  J.  Davis  :  "My  company 
was  next  to  the  extreme  left  of  the 
regiment,  47th  N.  C.  regiment,  and 
when  not  far  from  the  enemy's  works, 
say  not  more  than  100  yards,  a  ser 
geant  of  an  adjoining  regiment  called 
my  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
troops  to  the  left  had  given  away.  I 
looked  and  saw  that  at  some  distance 
to  the  left,  the  troops  had  given  way, 
but  our  supports  were  then  advancing 
in  admirable  style.  (Lane's  brigade.) 
Col.  Graves,  who  was  to  the  right  of 
me,  had  kept  the  regiment  well  in 
hand  and  was  urging  the  men  on." 
"And  we  advanced,"  says  Capt.  Davis, 
"to  the  plank  fence  that  ran  alongside 
the  lane  just  under  the  stone  wall." 
Here  he  and  his  regiment  were  after- 
wards captured. 

Col.  B.  F.  Little,  Captain  of  Co.  E, 
52d  N.  C  regiment :  I  was  shot  down 
when  about  50  yards  of  the  enemy's 
works,  and  the  ground  between  where 
I  lay  and  the  works  was  thickly  strewn 
with  killed  and  wounded,  some  of 
them  having  fallen  immediately  at  the 
works.  I  do  not  think  a  single  one 
of  my  men  ever  got  back  to  the 
rear  except  those  who  were  slightly 
wounded  before  they  got  to  the  place 
where  I  was  wounded.  And  such  was 
the  case  with  the  companies  on  either 
side  of  mine.  When  I  was  taken 
prisoner  and  borne  to  the  rear,  I 
passed  over  their  works  and  found 
some  of  my  men  killed  and  wounded 
immediately  at  their  works." 

It  is  of  Pettigrew's  brigade  that 
Col.  Swallow  writes  as  follows :  "Pet- 
tigrew's brigade  now  united  with  Ar- 
cher's regiment  which  had  not  entered 
the  fortifications  and  attacked  the  en 
emy  with  the  most  desperate  deter- 
mination. While  the  writer  (Col. 
Swallow)  lay  wounded  with  General 
Smyth,  of  Hays'  division,  at  Gettys- 
burg, that  officer  told  him  that  Petti- 


■12 


grew's  brigade  all  along  his  front  were 
within  thirty  or  forty  feet  of  his  line 
and  fought  with  a  determination  he 
had  never  seen  equalled."  This  en- 
comium, so  richly  merited,  is,  how- 
ever, to  be  shared  by  Lane's  brigade 
equally  with  Pettigrew's,  for  Smyth's 
front  was  the  extreme  left  where 
Lane  fought  as  well  as  Pettigrew's 
brigade. 

"While  such  was  the  position  of 
affairs  on  the  right  and  centre  when 
the  smoke  of  battle  lifted  somewhat, 
Brc  ckenborough's  Virginians  and 
Davis'  Mississippi ans  not  having  ral- 
lied from  the  deadly  discharge  that 
had  hulled  them  back,  Lane's  North 
Cai  olinians  were  alone  on  the  left  and 
boi  e  the  brr.nt  of  the  conflict  on  that 
pait  of  the  tield.  In  his  report  Lane 
say-;: 

"My  command  never  moved  for- 
ward more  handsomely.  The  men 
received  their  hie  in  accordance  with 
orders  until  within  good  range  of  the 
enemy  and  then  opened  with  telling 
effect,  driving  the  cannoneers  from 
their  pieces,  completely  silencing  the 
guns  in  our  immediate  front  and 
breaking  the  line  of  infantry  on  the 
crest  of  the  hill. 

We  advanced  to  within  a  few  yards 
of  the  stone  wall,  exposed  all  the 
while  to  a  heavy  raking  artillery  fire 
from  the  right.  My  left  was  here 
very  much  exposed,  and  a  column  of 
infantry  was  thrown  forward  in  that 
direction  thut  eniiladed  my  entire 
line." 

This  was  a  coh.mn  of  regiments  that 
was  thrown  forward  from  Hay's  right, 
and  despite  an  enfilading  artillery 
fire,  Lane  broke  off  a  regiment  from 
his  left  to  face  this  threatened  danger. 

Capt.  Lovill,  Co.  A.,  28th  N.  C, 
Lane's  Brigade,  says  :  Some  of  my 
men  were  wounded  and  captured  in- 
side the  works. 

Col.  Norwood,  of  the  37th  N.  C, 
says  that    regiment,    along    with   the 


brigade,  advanced  to  within  thiity 
yards  of  the  enemy's  works,  where 
they  encountered  a  plank  fence.  Sev- 
eral officers,  myself  among  them, 
sprung  over  the  fence,  followed  by 
the  whole  command  so  far  as  I  know. 
The  cannoneers  thenleft  their  pieces." 

Lt.  Col.  Morriss,  of  the  33d  N.  C, 
says  Pettigrew's  and  Archer's  men 
reached  the  enemy's  works  a  little  in 
advance  of  us  and  succeeded  in  driv- 
ing the  enemy  from  their  works  in 
their  front,  but  were  exposed  to 
a  -flank  fire  both  right  and  left. 
We  drove  the  enemy  from  his 
position  on  the  road  and  from 
behind  the  stone  fence.  The  ene 
my  having  disappeared  from  our 
front,  we  became  engaged  with  a 
flanking  party  on  our  left  and  were 
surrounded  and  captured.  Six  offi- 
cers on  the  right  of  my  regiment 
were  wounded  in  the  enemy's  works 
and  captured." 

The  brave  Maj.  Jos.  H.  Saunders, 
of  the  33d,  says:  I  went,  by  a  subse- 
quent measurement,  to  within  sixty 
yards  of  the  stone  wall,  where  I  was 
wounded.  Just  before  I  was  shot  I 
saw  a  federal  color  bearer  just  in 
front  of  the  left  wing  of  the 
regiment,  get  up  and  run  waiv- 
ing his  flag  and  followed  by  his  regi- 
ment, so  that  there  was  nothing  to 
keep  our  regiment  from  going  right 
into  the  enemy's  works.  I  was  shot 
by  the  troops  on  our  left  flank.  At 
the  time  I  was  acting  as  left  guide  to 
the  line  of  battle,  directing  the  line 
of  march  more  to  the  right  so  as  to 
strike  the  enemy's  works  in  a  straiter 
line." 

Eev.  Dr.  Geo.  W.  Sanderlin,  who  was 
captain  of  a  company  of  the .  33d  N. 
C,  says:  Our  brigade  being  in  the 
second  line  advanced  in  fine  style 
over  the  field.  When  we  were  about 
two  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy's 
works  Gen.  Lane  ordered  a  half  wheel 
to  the  left  and  we  continued   our   ad- 


13 


vance,  our  organization  being  excel- 
lently preserved,  close  up  to  the 
enemy's  work.  We  were  subjected  to 
a  rapid  artillery  fire  from  our  front  as 
well  as  a  deadly  musketry  fire,  and  also 

4)  an  enfilading  artillery  fire  from  the 
left.  My  regiment,  the  33d  N.  C, 
rested  at  the  enemy's  works,  the  ar- 
tillery men  being  driven  away  from 
their  pieces  and  the  infantry  having 
been  driven  from  their  breastworks. 
For  some  five  minutes  all  was  com- 
paratively quiet  in  our  front,  except 
a  desultory 'firing  here  and  there.  We 
could  hear  the  Federal  officers  just 
over  the  ridge  trying  to  rally  and  re- 
form their  men.  Attention  was  called 
to  a  piece  of  artillery  just  at  hand 
which  had  been  struck  in  the  muzzle  by 
a  shell,  from  a  gun  of  like  calibre 
from  a  Confederate  battery,  which 
remained  fastened  in  the  bore.  We 
noticed  the  situation  on  the  extreme 
right  of  the  line  and  finally  saw  it 
driven  off  by  the  enemy.  A  column 
had  been  thrown  out  on  the  enemy's 
right  that  flanked  us.  We,  being  in 
danger  of  being  cut  off,  were  ordered 
back,  Pickett's  troops  on  our  right 
having  in  the  meantime  been  repulsed. 
Just  then  the  enemy  opened  on  us  a 
most  heavy  and  destructive   fire,  and 

^  as  we  began  to  retreat  the  enemy  in 
our  front  rallied  and  rushed  down, 
crossing  their  breastworks,  attacking 
us  also  on  our  right.  Our  line  on  the 
extreme  right  (Pickett's)  had  given 
away  before  this,  and  we  made  the 
best  retreat  we  could.  Our  organi- 
zation was  well  preserved  up  to  the 
time  we  retreated.  I  am  absolutely 
confident  that  Lane's  brigade  held  its 
position  at  the  enemy's  works  longer 
than  any  other  command,  and  that 
we  did  not  move  towards  the  rear 
until  the  rest  of  the  line  was  in  full 
retreat,  the  extreme  right  being  well 
advanced  to  the  rear." 

The   Seventh   North   Carolina  and 
that  part  of  the  33d  which  became  sep- 


arated from  the  rest  of  Lane's  brigade 
moved  forward  gallantly,  drove  the 
enemy  from  the  stone  wall,  silenced 
the  guns  in  their  front  and  lost  officers 
and  men  at  the  stone  wall,  many  be- 
ing captured  there. 

In  the  brief  minutes  that  had  elapsed 
since  the  final  rush  on  the  enemy's 
works  had  begun  the  carnage  had  in- 
deed been  terrific.  Garnett  had  fallen 
near  the  wall.  Kemper  was  desper- 
ately wounded  at  the  wall.  Pettigrew' 
was  disabled  by  a  ball.  Trimble 
was  knocked  hors  die  combat.  Fry, 
Marshall  and  Lowrance  had  fallen 
among  the  thousands  of  officers  and 
men  whose  life-blood  was  ebbing  on 
that  bloody  field. 

But  if  the  Confederates  had  suf- 
fered fearfully,  they  had  also  inflicted 
heavy  loss  upon  their  opponents. 
"Hancock  lay  bleeding  upon  the 
ground,  Gibbon  was  being  taken 
wounded  from  the  field.  Webb  had 
been  hit.  Sherrill  and  Smyth  both 
wounded,  the  former  mortally.  Stan- 
nard  had  received  a  painful  wound,  but 
his  troops  continued  to  pour  volley 
after  volley  into  Pickett's  flanks." 

When  the  front  line  of  Webb's  bri- 
gade j^ave  way  under  the  pressure  of 
Pettigrew's  men  on  the  flank,  they 
had  fallen  back,  some  to  the  cover  of 
a  clump  of  trees  in  the  rear 
and  others  to  a  stone  wall 
that  crossed  the  ridge.  From  these 
points  they  maintained  a  desultory 
firing  upon  the  Confederates,  who 
having  possession  of  the  wall  now 
used  it  as  a  protection  for  themselves 
The  projection  was  pi  actically  cleared 
but,  though  Archer's  and  Scales'  and 
Pickett's  men  held  the  angle  next  to 
Pettigrew,  there  was  no  general  effort 
made  to  penetrate  into  the  enemy's 
line.  In  the  meantime  regiment  after 
regiment  had  hurried  to  cover  th  ; 
break  in  the  Federal  line  until  the 
men  stood  four  deep,  ready  to  hurl 
back  the  Confederates  if  they  should 


u 


?oek  to  advance.  Such  was  the  con- 
dition of  comparative  repose  when 
Arruistead's  brigade  reached  the  wall 
in  Garnett's  rear. 

"1  Seeing  his  men  were  inclined  to 
use  it  as  a  defence,  as  the  front  line 
were  doing,"  he  raised  his  hat  upon 
his  sword,  and  spring'ng  upon  a 
broken  place  in  the  wall,  called  on  his 
nieu  to  follow  him.  Nearly  one  hun- 
dred I  of  the  ,  gallant  Fifty-third  Vir- 
gin! i,  led  by  Col.  Martin  and  Maj. 
Timberlake,  responded  with  alacrity 
and  entered  the  works,  "only  four  of 
whom  advanced  with  these  officers  to 
the  crest,  passing,  as  they  advanced, 
Gen.  Webt),  who  was  returning  to  his. 
front  line."  Armistead  there  received 
his  mortal  blow,  and  forty-two  of  his 
men  fell  within  the  works  as  the  en- 
emy rushed  forward  to  recover  the 
position.  It  was  the  work  of  brief 
moments,  for  as  the  pressure  on  the 
Federal  line  had  been  sharp  the  recoil 
was  quick  and  decisive. 

On  the  right  Kemper  had  been 
driven  back,  and  the  battle  hav- 
ing now  ceased  in  front  of  Hall's 
and  Harrow's  brigades,  these 
weiv  hurriedly  advanced,  at  the  mo- 
ment the  force  collected  in  the  rear 
of  Webb  rushed  forward,  taking  Gar- 
nett  and  Armistead's  troops  in  the 
flank  as  well  as  front,  and  entirely 
routing  and  dispersing  them. 

As  the  right  was  hurled  back  and 
the  fragments  of  Gen.  Pickett's 
divis  ion  were  hurrying  to  the  rear, 
the  battle  began  to  rage  more  furi- 
ously on  the  left.  The  artillery 
swept  the  front  occupied  by  Petti- 
g-rew's  command  and  Hays'  division 
renewed  the  contest  with  increased 
ardor.  A  Delaware  regiment  on 
Smyth's  left  sprang  over  the  wall  and 
penetrating  the  Confederate  line 
opened  a  fire  to  the  right  and  left  and 
hurried  the  drama  to  its  close. 

The  remnants  of  Pettigrew'3  and 
Archer's   and   Scales'    brigades    that 


could  not  escape,  were  taken  prim- 
ers by  the  victorious  columns 
closing  in  on  them  from  the 
rear,- while  most  of  Lane's  brigade 
further  to  the  left  had  the  better  for 
tune  of  avoiding  a  like  fate  by  a 
■speedy  retreat;  but  they  were  the  last 
to  relinquish  their  positionin  the  im- 
mediate front  of  the  enemy's  works. 
As  they  withdrew  they  saw  the  field 
far  down  the  valley  dotted  with  squads 
of  Pickett's  broken  regiments,  while 
nearer  were  the  fragments  Of  the 
other  commands  in  full  retreat. 
Thus  ended  the  events  of  those  brief 
ten  minutes — -the  gallant  charge — the 
successful  planting  of  the  Confeder- 
ate standards  along  the  entire  line  of 
the  Federal  works — the  comparative 
lull,  save  on  the  right,  where 
Kemper  made  his  fierce  entrance 
into  the  enemy's  line,  his  speedy 
repulse — and  the  overwhelming 
rally  of  Hancock's  forces,  enveloping 
and  dispersing  Pickett's  division — 
the  terrible  onslaught  on  the  left,  and 
the  dispersal  of  the  last  of  that  splen- 
did body  of  twelve  thousand  picked 
troops  who  had  essayed  to  do  what 
was.  impossible  of  accomplishment. 
Conspicuous  gallantry  had  brought 
to  the  Confederate  banner  an  accu- 
mulation of  martial  honor,  but  on  no 
field  was  ever  more  devotion  shown, 
more  heroism,  more  nerve  than  on 
that  day  which  has  been  justly  con- 
idered  the  turning  point  in  the  tide 
of  Confederate  achievement. 

It  was  indeed  a  field  of  honor  as 
well  as  a  field  of  blood,  and  the  sister 
States  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina 
had  equal  cause  to  weave  chaplets  of 
laurel  an  d  of  cypress.  On  then-  sons 
the  heaviest  blows  fell,  and  to  them 
is  due  the  meed  of  highest  praise. 
Archer's  brave  men  doubtless  suffered 
heavily,  but  the  chief  loss  was  borne 
by  the  three  North  Carolina  and  the 
throe  Virginia  brigades  that  partici- 
pated in  the  assault  upon  the    works. 


15 


The  losses  of  the  latter  are  easy  of 
ascertainment — for  they  were  fresh 
and  had  been  in  no  other  conflict; 
while  the  former,  having  suffered 
heavily  on  the  first  day  and  having 
lost  most  of  their  regimental  and 
company  officers,  made  at  the  time  no 
special  return  of  the  loss  in  this  now 
celebrated  charge. 

Lane  carried  in  1,300  and  lost  600, 
nearlj  all  killed  and  wounded.  Pet- 
tigrew's  brigade  was  about  1,700 
strong  and  lost  1,100,  the  greater 
part  killed  and  wounded.  Scales' 
brigade  suffered  in  the  like  propor- 
tion. These  three  brigades  doubt- 
less lost  in  killed  and  wounded  1,500 


men. 

The      three 
memberingf   ov 


Virginia      brigades 
4,700    strong    lost 


224  killed,  and  1,140  wounded,  a  total 
of  1,364.  They  had  besides  1,499 
missing.  While  the  North  Carolina 
brigades  did  not  have  so  many  cap- 
tured as  Pickett's  troops,  they 
doubtless  suffered  a  heavier  loss  in 
killed  and  wounded,  although  they 
took  into  the  fight  a  smaller  force, 
and  their  organization  was  much  dis- 
turbed by  the  severe  loss  in  regi- 
mental and  company  officers  in  the 
battle  of  the  first.  But  despite  this 
drawback,  they  exhibited  a  heroism, 
a  constancy  and  an  endurance  unsur- 
passed upon  that  field  where  they  ac- 
complished as  much  as  any  other 
troops,  suffered  greater  losses  and  re- 
mained the  longest.  Indeed  it  was 
to  them  a  day  of  glory  as  of  mourn- 
ful disaster. 


